The United States’ 2026 World Cup journey ended in heartbreak as Belgium secured a dominant 4-1 victory in Seattle on Monday night. Despite playing on home soil and benefiting from the controversial return of Folarin Balogun, defensive blunders and key injuries proved fatal for the Americans.
Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere was the standout performer, scoring twice and providing an assist. He opened the scoring in the eighth minute, exploiting a shaky U.S. backline. While Malik Tillman briefly revived American hopes with a brilliant free-kick to level the score at 1-1, Belgium responded just 61 seconds later. De Ketelaere struck again in the 33rd minute to regain the lead for the Red Devils.
The second half brought further misery for the hosts. A major error by U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese allowed Hans Vanaken to score from 35 yards, extending the lead to 3-1. To make matters worse, star forward Christian Pulisic was forced off with an ankle injury, finishing the tournament without a goal. Romelu Lukaku added a fourth for Belgium in stoppage time to seal the result.
The defeat marks another Round of 16 exit for the U.S., who have failed to reach the quarterfinals for over two decades. Coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose future with the team remains uncertain, noted that the team’s progress is "not linear". Belgium now advances to face Spain in the quarterfinals, while all six CONCACAF nations have now been eliminated from the tournament.
